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1st Rib cook

LizzieSamps
LizzieSamps Posts: 894
edited August 2012 in EggHead Forum
Its my mom's 65th Birthday Today and I am having her over for ribs tonight. Should I plan for 1 whole rack a person or just a half. Do they reheat? Also if I am not going to be back from church till 6:30 what would be a good time to put them on? I was thinking eating by 7. Thanks!
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Comments

  • Baby back ribs take about 4 hours and pork ribs take 5 hours to cook. Add in 1 hour resting time in a dry cooler after cooking and that will give you the latest time you can start cooking. The ribs will stay warm enough to eat in the cooler for at least 4 hours so in reality you should start cooking now.
  • When I do mine, they generally take between 5 an 6 hours at 250 grid. If you are doing sides, generally 1/2 rack per person should be fine.
  • AleBrewer
    AleBrewer Posts: 555
    I usually plan on 1/2 rack per person....especially when you figure appetizers and sides.

    You doing spares or baby backs?

    My baby backs took just under 5hrs yesterday at 275° grid temp.  If they get done early, you can FTC them as well.
  • cazzy
    cazzy Posts: 9,136
    I'd say a 1/3 to 1/2 rack a person, assuming you have plenty of sides...and corn bread.

    If they're BB or St. Louis Cut, i'd estimate about 5 hour cook time @ 250 grid, so throw em on around 2pm. You don't have to rest em so just pull em off and enjoy.
    Just a hack that makes some $hitty BBQ....
  • Phoenix824
    Phoenix824 Posts: 243
    I usually do a rack for the family but my wife and kids are light eaters.     I would plan a half rack for most people.      You should be fine with sides.     They do re-heat well.     I usually plan a 4.5 to 5 hour cook for ribs.    I do the Car Wash Mike method.    
    Steve Van Wert, Ohio XL BGE
  • double
    double Posts: 1,214
    Mine normally take 4 to 5 hrs. After doing the 32lbs on the 4th I can tell you I over budgeted ... Most people agreed about 4 to 6 rib pieces per person would be sufficient (lightweights) they did all get eaten over the next week so nothing wasted and great cold. Good luck
    Lynnwood WA
  • Ok gentleman Thanks that Was quite the speedy response! I hope I one day can help others the way you all have helped me! :-* Muah!
  • If it's just her and you guys at home, 1/2 rack should be plenty. I wouldn't put it past your hubby to wreck a whole rack with those hairless hands of his though . 
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • 4 adults 3 kids who most likely won't eat so I bought a pack of 3, gonna do cornbread, green beans, baked beans, loaded baked pototo salad, and cake. Oh my AC in the van went out so waiting in traffic about to die!
  • double
    double Posts: 1,214
    My kids are the biggest rib eaters. The 4yr old eats more than my wife and the 2 yr old tucks in as well.
    Lynnwood WA
  • That's awesome I hope my kids warm up to better food soon!
  • Home finally, do I put the PS in or just do direct. I was thinking of putting 2 on the bottom rack and 1 on the top rack
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,174

    All the above time guesstimates are good info-I would go indirect with an elevated drip pan on the PS to keep any drippings from becoming burnt offerings.  If full racks, the bend test is the best way to determine when finished-pick up with tongs and when bend around 90 degrees-finished.  If half-rack use a toothpick-insert in the meat and with no resistance in or out-done.  Toothpick obviously works on the full rack and is quicker for me.  Enjoy!

    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • njl
    njl Posts: 1,123
    In a pinch, you can turbo spare ribs in about 2 hours of cooking time.  Either way, unless your mom's a linebacker, I wouldn't expect her to eat more than half a slab, if that much...especially if you have some nice side items.
  • Got them ready to go just waiting on temp Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos
  • chuff
    chuff Posts: 255
    Looks fantastic! Good luck! I did ribs last weekend and being a fellow rib cooking n00b I was worried about it, but just like everyone said they were very forgiving and turned out great. I'm sure you'll do well.

    Side note, do you have a restaurant supply store nearby that is open to the public? It looks like you could really use a hotel pan or 2.
    XL BGE
  • I need to check that out, didn't realize how long they would be
  • Alright, not impressed with the Maverick 732 second time it has let me down. It was saying my temp was 437 and higher. Dome temp showing just over 200. So frustrating. Plus not holding steady, what's the problem here! I hope I can pull this one out. Would hate to have a fail on my mom's b-day dinner.
  • cazzy
    cazzy Posts: 9,136
    No worries. You don't need the maverick. Just get your fire set at around 250 grid and just check/adjust the vents as needed.

    Ribs are even more forgiving than a butt so they will come out great...promise.

    Not sure whats up with your fire...but open your vents a tad and get some air flow in there. Get your temp up, then damper them down until you get it stabilized.
    Just a hack that makes some $hitty BBQ....
  • Ok, so could this be an issue. It started to rain here, thank you, and so hubby put up the umbrella but moved the egg, I wonder if the wind is not hitting it the same. Is that a crazy idea.
  • Duganboy
    Duganboy Posts: 1,118
    @LizzieSamps  you will have plenty of ribs with all the sides you are having.  With those sides "average" adults will eat more like 1/3 rack.

    I held some St. Louis ribs for 4 hrs last Saturday and they were perfect serving temp. 
  • cazzy
    cazzy Posts: 9,136
    edited August 2012
    Even if you overshoot your target temp a bit, you'll be fine so just get it up.
    Just a hack that makes some $hitty BBQ....
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,174

    Remember you can have too much temp info.  You can and have calibrated the dome thermo (the only temp indicator that every BGE has) so go with it-you know about the dome to grid off-set on indirect cooks.  Unless otherwise stated cook temps are pretty much dome reference.  Deal with the Maverick when it's not in the line of fire.  Just get the dome thermo stable 270+/- and cook away.  Enjoy-and here's my synopsis of the various ways people describe rib cooks referencing the X-X-X cook styles:

    • Basically ribs are cooked as usual (bone side down for me) for the first X hours. Then they are removed from the cooker and wrapped with liquid (Q sauce, some other liquid for flavoring etc) in a foil pouch with the meat side down. This becomes step -0- mentioned above. The sealed ribs are then returned to the cooker.  At the end of the "0" time-frame, the ribs are removed from the foil and then put back on the BGE for the final "0" time-frame.  This is when sauce is added if your desire.  X-X-X defines the cook cycle.  Those of us X-0-0 run without any of the above extras.  It's all in what you like-experiment and enjoy the journey.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

     

    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • chuff
    chuff Posts: 255
    Regarding the Maverick, push the probe jacks into their sockets on the meter unit as hard as you can and it should give you accurate temps. They can be a PITA that way, but crazy high readings are an indication that the probe jack isn't making good contact with its socket. 
    XL BGE
  • Onegrecook
    Onegrecook Posts: 121
    Lizzie,

    Those look great! What rub did you put on them?
  • Ok here is what they look like now.Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos

    Are they burnt.
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,174
    Are they burnt?-doubtful-look done from the visual-hit em with the bend or toothpick test to know for sure. 
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • Ok, pulled them off they are toasted, I think my dome thermo is bad. Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    Were they direct?
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante